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12 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

of our own minds and emotions. Equanimity allows us to fully the impatience that arises within
By observing our impatience and accept the present moment without us. We observe the restlessness,
its underlying causes, we can gain resistance or judgment. It is the the desire for things to be different,
insight into our desires, cravings, ability to give space to both pleasant and the resistance to the present
and aversions. We may learn how and unpleasant experiences and moment. By acknowledging these
attached we are to things or people to recognize that all things and human, automatic reactions without
we are waiting for, or how little experiences arise and pass away. judging them, we create space for a
control we have over life when we Through equanimity, we find a deep more compassionate and balanced
or loved ones are suddenly ill or in sense of acceptance and serenity in approach to times of waiting.
need of care. the midst of waiting.
Mindfulness also allows us
Buddhism teaches that true In the context of waiting, cultivating to explore the causes of our
patience is more than mere equanimity allows us to remain impatience, such as fear, a sense
perseverance; it is an active centered and serene. It allows us of powerlessness, or the belief
engagement with the present to let go of the strong identification that we have developed certain
moment, a willingness to with desires and outcomes that often entitlements toward others.
accept things as they are, and a lead to impatience. Time spent doing Through the consistent practice
compassionate response to the ‘nothing’ or ‘nothing meaningful’ is of mindfulness, we can develop a
suffering of others. considered wasted time by many. We clearer understanding of ourselves
often don’t see how much our self- and our relationship to waiting.
This is expressed in the second task worth depends on having produced
of Buddha’s teaching, not to react something, professionally, in our free Waiting as a mindful Buddhist
immediately and automatically to time, in relationships. Yet people practice
unpleasant experiences, but to ‘not close to us often say that the greatest
react,’ ‘let be’ as it is, or ‘let go.’ In this gift we can give them is our presence Waiting can be seen as an invitation
sense, the practice of patience is an and attention. to deepen our practice. Buddhism
important virtue because it prevents encourages us to use moments of
reacting inappropriately or hurtfully Waiting and the practice of waiting as opportunities for self-
to unpleasant experiences reflexively. mindfulness reflection and meditation, and to
cultivate virtues such as patience
The power of equanimity Central to the cultivation of patience and equanimity for the benefit of
and equanimity in Buddhism ourselves as well as the world.
Equanimity (upekkha) is the practice of mindfulness.
complements the practice of Mindfulness means perceiving Source: This article originally
patience in the face of waiting. the present moment in a non- appeared in the BuddhaFoundation
Equanimity refers to a state of judgmental way and meeting our (Buddha Stiftung) website
mental calm and stability in which thoughts, feelings, and bodily at https://buddhastiftung.org/
we are able to maintain balance sensations with curiosity and die-kunst-des-wartens-entdecken-
and composure in the midst of acceptance. Through mindfulness die-bedeutung-von-geduld-und-
life’s ups and downs. It is a state of we become familiar with the ungeduld-im-buddhismus/ .
non-reactivity and non-attachment arising and passing of experiences,
Eastern Horizon thanks Dr
in which we do not allow external including our experiences in the
Jochen Weber for kindly giving us
circumstances to derail our lives. moments of waiting.
permission to repost this article. EH
This is true for our everyday tests
of patience; when extreme events When we encounter waiting with
occur, few are likely to succeed. mindfulness, we become aware of